Bonds of Evil
by Kratos Wilder
Summary: Sequel to Bonds of Trust. A mysterious villain is on the loose, but no one knows his real identity. But the biggest shocker is who is working for him...and can the good guys win before their friends kill them?
1. Uncertain

BOO YA! Look at this! I actually am writing a sequel...to Bonds of Trust! Sorry, but a few people have been waiting for a sequel, and today, I felt like writing a more...darker thing. So...here it is!

For anyone who hasn't read BOT...I highly suggest you do. The first paragraph ALONE contains big-time spoilers. For all of you who HAVE read it...read on! I hope that this will be good, because I have a feeling that I am going to like this!

**Disclaimer:** Short, sweet, and simple...I don't own Tales of Symphonia! OKAY?

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**Bonds of Evil  
**_Uncertain_

Yuan couldn't sleep, nor could he stop thinking about the whole situation. There was no way that a young person like Mighty could have killed people without getting caught earlier. It was driving him mad, and he knew that no one would believe him if he told them what he thought. He put out the villain, so the fear was over. He didn't want to cause more fear that might not be needed.

"Something's bothering you. It's written all over you face."

He looked up across the room at Botta, who was wearing a look of confusion and concern. He didn't keep his gaze on him for long and looked back down at the floor.

"Nothing's wrong. Perhaps it's my lack of sleep."

"Perhaps it's because of what's been happening. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

Yuan took a deep breath, using that time to decide whether or not he should tell him what he thought. He looked back in his friend's eyes, but shook his head, and remained quiet.

The gesture didn't faze Botta. "This is about Mighty, isn't it? He wasn't the main person behind all of this, was he? He was just a pawn."

He didn't answer right away, due to the fact he was stunned that Botta could have said that when that's what he was thinking and he didn't know if it was right or not. He didn't like giving away false information and then having everyone believe it. He was a one hundred percent kind of guy. It was all true or no one knew about it. However, he would rather have Botta asking questions on the issue than having him questioning him.

"To tell you the truth, Botta, I don't even know myself."

"What are you talking about? Weren't you the one who said that it was Mighty?"

"Actually, I had a feeling it was him, and he basically came out and told us. What if he lied, or that was his part was to fool us while some bigger, more vicious guy kills more people? Look at it this way, Kvar could have easily killed him, but he didn't. He might be smart, but he didn't have enough power to stop Kvar from hurting him. It's like…having Genis run Cruxis. He's a smart little kid, but he could only do so much."

"He was working for someone? Is that what you're saying?

Yuan leaned back on his bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to get all of his thoughts together. "If I knew that, I would be out there looking for him, not sitting here talking about him."

Silence followed his remark. Botta didn't know what to say. All of this was supposed to be over, not be starting up again. Yuan didn't seem to notice the change on Botta's face and spoke to break the silence.

"How's Lloyd doing?"

Botta was shocked by Yuan's quick change of subject, but he answered his question. "The last time I checked, he was doing fine."

Yuan smiled to himself. "That's good to hear."

"Why don't you tell me more on what might be happening…"

"How are the others? I'm getting worried for Anna and Genis. Are they still okay?"

Botta leaned forward in the chair he was in and placed his chin in his hands. He didn't want to yell at Yuan, but he wanted to get his question out without him changing the subject.

"Yuan, _you_ are the person who's beginning to worry me. The others are fine. Tell me what's wrong."

Yuan sat up on his bed and looked at Botta. "You really want to know what's on my mind?"

Botta nodded, but Yuan did not respond right away. The two sat in silence for a while, until Yuan got up off the bed and walked toward the door.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Yuan stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned toward Botta. "If you want to know what I am thinking, then follow me."

Botta stood up, totally confused on what was going on. "Why? What's up?"

"I don't think I killed the right person. The mastermind is still out there."

----

It was dark, the cold breeze from the ocean made the chilly night a little more colder than it should have been. The stars and the half-moon helped illuminate the small town, but the shadow of the night still had control of the village. There was only one person up, walking down the shoreline, stopping every few seconds to look around. Everyone else was sleeping, but he was out looking for someone, someone who he needed to carry out his plans. However, he had no clue where to start.

The wind blew his hair in his face, causing him to stop to brush it out of his eyes. He wanted to curse the wind for being such a constant bother. He wanted to yell, but he would wake up everyone, and he didn't want to be noticed. The wind kept on blowing, and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't…wouldn't leave his position until he found a clue of what he was looking for.

"What are you doing out here, and in the cold weather? Why don't you come inside?"

He looked over at his friend, a doctor that he trusted with his life. They had been good friends since they knew each other. He had been in contact with him recently, and that's why he was there. He appreciated his friend's concern, but he had a job to do, so he politely declined.

"Thanks, but I'm looking for someone. I will when I find them."

"You might be able to look better in the morning when it is light outside."

"Then I have wasted valuable time. The quicker I find this person, the better."

The doctor didn't respond, until a few minutes later, when he started to laugh. "You fool! I was told that you were looking for someone, so I found them. I'm holding them here, so you should thank me for saving the miserable creature's life."

The man turned around and cracked a smile at the doctor's jolly nature. He greatly appreciated his work, and the fact that he went out of his way to help him. He walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Good man. I had a feeling that you would."

"No task given to me is too hard."

"Then I have another one for you to find. Luckily, it's around here, a few miles off that way," he said as he pointed to where he wanted his friend to go. "Don't let me down."

He handed him and piece of paper with more information on it. While he examined it, the man walked pat him into the warm house.

"I'll check up on our little friend. Come back here with the other one."

The doctor smiled and nodded. Without saying another word, he left and disappeared into the night. He smiled and shut the door behind him, then turned to head to where his helper was. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sphere, its blood red color mixing in with its black gave the Exsphere an evil presence. He could feel its power as he held it in his hand and wanted to apply it onto himself. However, he didn't know how much power it had, and if he applied it, it could kill him. That's why he was going to test it on others who were stronger than him. The good thing was, that since these Exspheres were hand-made, he was able to put a device in it to control the person it was attached to. He loved having power over people, and that's why he was going to do what he had planned.

He walked into the room where he found his "soon to be" follower sound asleep, or knocked out from the strong medication the doctor gave him before he left. He smiled as he sat down beside his "friend". He took a hold of the equipped Exsphere and removed it from the body. He quickly applied the new one and sat back down in his chair. He gazed at the small sphere in his hand, then back up at his helper.

"I hope the doctor gave you a lot of that medication. This new change…is going to hurt."


	2. Lloyd Wakes Up

Well, I have an annoucment to make...NO MORE SCHOOL! YAY! Today was our last day, and I couldn't have been happier! Now, I shall be bringing you stories...I hope.

Okay, I felt in the mood to continue this one, so I did. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, and I hope that you guys can figure some stuff out here. I won't give anything away, so just stay tuned. I shall be updating often now, since I'll have nothing else to do. Thanks again for all of you who reviewed and made my day!

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**Bonds of Evil  
**_Lloyd wakes up_

Lloyd woke up with a sharp pain in his head. He brought his hand up to rub the pain away, and realized that his whole head was covered in bandages. He looked around, but he had no clue where he was. He wanted to get up and look around, but his head began throbbing, so he decided not to fight against it.

"Hey, you're up!"

Lloyd looked to the doorway and saw Genis smiling at him. He did his best to return the gesture, but he could only go so far. The pain wouldn't let him go the rest of the way.

"No one thought you were going to wake up."

"Where…where are we?" Lloyd asked with a little difficulty.

Genis sat down beside his bed and looked around the room. "We're at the base in Triet. We brought you here so you could recover faster and we could get away from the people in Izoold, more or less, their questions."

"Why…what happened in Izoold?" Lloyd didn't remember being in Izoold, or didn't remember a lot of it.

Genis dropped his smile and stared at the floor, his eyes showing rage and sorrow. Lloyd grew worried when he saw this change in his friend.

"We were tricked, Lloyd. It's all my fault for not seeing it sooner. I'm sorry. You could have been killed!"

Lloyd still had no idea what Genis was talking about. "Genis, I have no idea what you're talking about. How were we tricked?"

Genis looked back up at Lloyd, acting like what he didn't want to tell him what he was going to say. "Do you know who shot you? Do you remember what happened about a week ago?"

Lloyd thought for a while, then he remembered who shot him, and why. He figured out who their enemy was through a bizarre dream, and Mighty came into his room and shot him, so he couldn't tell the others. He looked back up at Genis and frowned.

"You guys found out?"

Genis kept his eyes on the floor. "Yuan did. Not only that, but he killed him."

"Mighty killed Yuan? What the…"

"The other way around, Lloyd. Yuan killed Mighty."

Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief. However, Genis still didn't look too happy. "Hey, at least he's not going to kill anyone anymore. Plus that, he didn't kill me, and I am going to be fine."

"What about Raine, and Edect, and your Dad? What about them? It's his fault that they are dead! I believed him, so in a way, _I_ helped him hurt everyone!"

"Genis, you didn't do anything wrong. It's not a sin to trust people, but it is to betray someone like Mighty did. _You_ did nothing wrong."

Genis didn't say anything to Lloyd. Finally, Lloyd smiled and sat up in bed. "But hey, I'm okay. It still hurts, but I'm alive, right?"

Genis looked at Lloyd and let a small smile form on his face. "Yeah, I'm sure with how many times Raine hit you, a gunshot can't be that bad."

The two boys began laughing and for a while, they totally forgot about what happened to them, and the situation that they were left in. As they began to calm down, a voice came from behind them.

"I hope you guys are having fun."

They both turned to see who was talking to them. Yuan was staring at the boys, looking a little angry and impatient.

"What's wrong?" Genis asked as Yuan approached the bed.

"How are you doing, Lloyd?" Yuan asked, ignoring Genis's question.

Lloyd looked over at Yuan and smiled. "Decent, I guess. My head still hurts a little."

Yuan chuckled. "It's going to hurt for a little bit, Lloyd."

"He's kind of immune to it anyway," Genis added.

"So why did you come visit? I know you didn't come to check up on me," Lloyd said.

Yuan didn't reply as he got up and walked toward the door. When he got to the door, he stopped and faced the two boys. "I came to talk to Genis. But, since you're awake, we'll have to do this somewhere else."

Lloyd cocked his head to his side, deciding whether to be insulted or angry. "Why can't you do it when I am awake?"

"Because you would be asking too many questions. I don't have time to fill you in now."

Lloyd frowned as Genis got up to leave. He said good-bye to Lloyd and walked over to where Yuan was waiting for him. Before he left, Yuan turned back to Lloyd and smiled.

"I'll tell your mother that you are awake. By the way, I am glad to see you up again. It really makes my day."

Lloyd smiled as he watched Yuan and Genis leave his room. He felt out-of-the-loop, but it wasn't too much longer until he totally forgot about it, and fell asleep.

_-----_

_The room didn't look familiar at all. Why was I here? Where was Genis, and Yuan, and my mom? Did they even know I was awake and that I was even here? I wanted to yell, and I was about to when the door behind me swung open. At first, I thought that someone was coming to check up on me, but I scratched that when I didn't recognize the person. _

_"Hello, Lloyd. I've always wanted to meet you," the man said to me. I couldn't see who it was, but I could tell he was taller and more than likely older by the deepness of his voice. He had blood-red eyes that glared at me through the darkness, scaring me half to death. What was worse was the fact that he knew who I was.  
"You're probably wondering how I know you, right?"_

_I wanted to say something to answer him, but my mouth wouldn't move. It was shut, due to my fear. This guy seemed to be able to read minds! I could also feel his power, an evil energy coming from his shadow. That, along with his eyes and voice, were keeping me from moving and speaking._

_"Since you seemed to be scared, I'll tell you how I know you." I prepared for an answer, and I hated the fact that he was testing my patience. He seemed to be enjoying it. I hated this guy already. "I knew your father, Lloyd."_

_My heart stopped. How did this guy know my father? _

_"I actually knew him pretty well. We did a lot of crazy things together, and those were some great times!"_

_"Shut up! My Dad never associated with people like you!"_

_He laughed, and that sent chills down my spine. Just who the hell was this guy? "You get mad when people talk about him, don't you? But I seriously knew him. Perhaps a name will ring a bell?"_

_I braced myself for his name, and I prayed to Martel that it was someone that I didn't know, or even trusted._

_"My name is Kincaid Sumner. Ask your father about me."_

_I didn't recognize the name at all, which made me feel somewhat better. "Um…I can't. Some asshole killed him."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_He had my attention now. Was my Dad still alive? He couldn't be! I saw Kvar shoot him and he never woke back up! On top of that, if he survived the gunshot, how did he get off the boat before it sank? Too many things didn't fit in right, and I didn't trust this guy._

_"He's alive Lloyd, and I know where he is." He walked up next to me and whispered in my ear, "Would you like to see him?"_

_I couldn't believe what I just heard! Either this guy was full of shit or he was telling the truth! He walked away from me and exited out through the door he came in._

_"I'll go get him. Stay here, I'll be back."_

_Something inside of me was jumping up and down; my father was still alive! However, there was a feeling in my gut telling me to get out of there. What if this was a trap? What if he lied, and he never did know my father? He didn't tell me his name anyway, so it was possible. The feeling kept on rising, and I didn't know how much longer I could wait without leaving. When it got to the point that my mind told me to run, he came back out._

_"You ready?"_

_I have never been so afraid in my life. I didn't even know why either, but the way the guy acted and felt to me was enough to tell me to get the hell out of there. However, something made me stop and stay._

_There before me, stood my Dad._

_A smile came across my face as I ran up to him. I couldn't believe that this guy actually told the truth! My Dad was alive! I felt like I squeezed the life out of him, but he just smiled and returned the hug. I was back in my father's arms again, and I couldn't have been happier. Everything was going great, and I couldn't wait to tell my mom that Dad was back!_

_Then I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and I dropped to my knees. I was having trouble breathing, and I could feel blood trickle down my side and my legs. Someone had stabbed me in the stomach, and the weapon was still there. I reached down and tried to take it out of me, but a hand caught mine just before I could reach it._

_It was my father's._

_"Dad! What are you doing?" I managed to yell before his other hand connected with the side of my face. I felt like each bone in my face was crushed. The last time I remembered, he couldn't hit that hard, let alone hit his own son!_

_"Dad! What's wrong with you?"_

_Then Kincaid started laughing. "You foolish boy! You really are as stupid as Mighty said you were. Oh, and don't worry about your friends. They'll be joining you soon."_

_My Dad approached me again, and I was completely defenseless, let alone in pain and could barely do anything anyway. He grabbed me by the shirt collar and pulled me up to his face._

_"What have you done to him?" I asked as I glared at Kincaid. He smiled and walked over to us._

_"Let's just say, I've made him stronger, stronger than you'll ever be. Now, if you have no more questions, I think that it's time for me to do what Mighty could not…and kill you."_


	3. Finding the Truth

So I was bored this week and decided to write. I had a huge Memorial Day party yesterday, and it was awesome, but I got water in my ear and now it hurts like crazy! Oh well, and I was playing ToS today and I got in the mood to write again. Hope you like it...and thanks for all of your reivews and reading! You guys make my day everyday! Oh...and Happy Late BDay to ProfessorSage! Hope it was a good one!**

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**Bonds of Evil  
**_Finding the Truth_

"Lloyd, wake up!" Genis yelled as him and Yuan tried to get Lloyd out of the yelling fit he was having. To Genis, he looked like he was fighting off someone just by the way he was moving and throwing his arms.

"Lloyd! Wake up!" he yelled louder. Finally, Lloyd shot out of the laying position he was in and tried to slow down his breathing.

"What happened to you, Lloyd?" Yuan asked, thankful that he was up again. Lloyd wiped the sweat from his face and fell back down on his pillow.

"…Nothing…I'm fine."

"What did you see? Your dreams have been correct in the…"

"No!" he yelled, causing Genis and Yuan to jump a little. Lloyd shook his head again. "It's not, okay? Nothing that I saw is happening, because it is impossible!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do! Until you have seen what I have, it is impossible! Don't try and prove me wrong, because you can't."

Yuan and Genis sat there, neither one saying anything to the other. Lloyd was quiet as well, which wasn't something that Lloyd did. Yuan was worried about what happened and what he saw in his dream. It could be a clue to figuring out who was really behind all of this mess.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Yuan asked after a few minutes of silence. Lloyd merely nodded his head. Yuan didn't push the matter any more and told Genis to follow him.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" Lloyd said before the two of them left.

Yuan nodded. "What do you want?"

Lloyd sighed, then looked at the two of them. "I want to talk to my mom. Can you tell her I am up?"

Genis smiled and nodded in unison with Yuan. "We sure can, Lloyd. We'll be right back."

Lloyd smiled as he watched the two of them leave. He didn't know much about the nightmare he had, but if Yuan was right, and his dreams have been proven for upcoming events, Kratos was alive, but someone was controlling him. He was not on their side.

---

Genis and Yuan walked down the hall to where Yuan's office was. The two of them didn't talk too much last time because the soldier told them that Lloyd appeared to be having a seizure. Now, Yuan wanted to get the rest of his information.

"What kind of person was Mighty? Did he seem like he could have done all this?"

Genis lowered his head. It was still hard for him to believe that Mighty could have done all this to him when he was so nice to him. No one, other than Lloyd and Colette, liked him and accepted him for who he really was. He was everything that Genis looked for in a friend.

"In all honesty, no, I can't. But, he did shoot Lloyd, and that's enough to prove that he is the enemy."

"He might have been the enemy, but I don't think that he was the main bad guy."

"What are you saying?" Genis asked, a little shocked at what he was hearing. "Is there someone else out there? How do you know this?"

Yuan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know for a fact. It's just that, someone Mighty's age has so much to live for. Why would he throw it all away for something like what he did? Especially if it meant hurting his friends."

"He was a good actor," Genis replied quietly.

"He might not have been acting."

Genis raised his eyebrows, confused at where Yuan was going. "How about you tell me if you think he was the bad guy or not."

Yuan was quiet, then stood up and turned his back to him and faced the wall. "I'm sorry Genis, but I can't see him being the guy we were looking for."

"Then who was in charge? How many more people are going to suffer at the hands of who we can't find?"

"I think we have someone who might be able to help us," Yuan said, a small smile forming on his face.

Genis continued to be confused, if not getting more than he already was. "You're not making sense. What's going on?"

"I need you to get Lloyd to talk…"

"Lloyd is _not_ the guy you are looking for! He's a good guy, and always has been!"

"I'm not saying he is, but his dreams might be able to tell us something that we don't already know."

---

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked as she placed herself on the chair by Lloyd's bed. She didn't get an answer, or even a look to let her know he heard her. He stared at the wall in front of him. "Lloyd."

"I'm fine."

She didn't buy it. "What's wrong? Yuan said that you were doing fine a few minutes ago."

He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words for what he was wanting to tell her. "I…I had a nightmare. You know, kinda like the dreams I had before that turned out to be true later on."

The look on Lloyd's face scared Anna and she began to wonder what he saw. She didn't even want to find out, but it was going to bother her if she didn't know what was eating at her son.

"Tell me. Those kinds of things are better to get off your chest than to keep them bottled up."

Lloyd looked over at her, then back at the wall. "There was a man…someone taller and older than probably any of us. His name was…well – I don't remember. He had these eyes that were blood red that sent chills up my spine. He knew a lot about me, and knew about Dad."

The mentioning of Kratos caught Anna's attention. She waited for more from Lloyd, and he closed his eyes to tell the rest.

"I don't know how he did, but, he just did. Then he left, and guess who he came back with?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders, telling Lloyd that she was waiting for him to tell her. He remained quiet for a while, seeing if she would think of who it was. When he didn't get a reply, he decided he better tell.

"I…I saw Dad again…and he was alive!"

A small smile formed on Anna's face. If Lloyd's dreams were true before, Kratos was alive. Lloyd didn't smile, which caused Anna to worry about what he was hiding.

"I don't know if it was Dad or not, but one thing is sure."

"What's that, Lloyd?" Anna asked, hoping that nothing too bad happened between the two of them in his dream.

"My real Dad, would never try and kill me like the one in my dream did."


	4. Meeting with Evil

OMG! HEY GUYS! It has been so long since I have even LOOKED at this! But, I was bored in CAD class and read over it and got the sense to continue it. I am so sorry for lacking in updating for so long, so I hope you guys forgive me! I'll try real hard to write more often! I PROMISE!!

Oh, and I want to thank everyone who reviewed and has read. Hopefully, I won't let you down!

Disclaimer: (have I put these on the others?) I don't own nothing, except for the bad guy! He sounds cool! BUT THAT'S IT!**

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**Bonds of Evil  
**_Meeting With Evil_

He had been walking for days; to make matters worse, he had been walking for days in that damn desert he hated. His throat was dry and the heat from the sun was making him frustrated. Add on to the heat from his anger and he was boiling on the inside. But, he kept walking, despite what weather permitted.

He had a plan.

However, it was hard to think positive when he was constantly complaining to himself about the heat. But it became a habit to push aside the trials and focus on the outcome. He didn't know the young Aurion boy, but he had every intention to find out more about him.

It was the first time he had even been to Triet, and now he was making a mental note for this brief visit to either chase the group out or stay there until he got what he needed. He was not leaving and coming back. Perhaps that's why he preferred Izoold to be his "office." The cooler weather allowed him to think.

His assistant had been in contact with him recently to let him know the second body for his "project" had been found. He mentally jumped for joy. Things were going very well for him. He had been a failure in the past, but he had plans to change that reputation.

He would not fail again.

However, to be able to perfect his idea, he needed more information. He didn't even know the runt's name. Just that he was _his_ son. Hell, he didn't even know if he was surrounded by friends, other family, or by himself, which seemed unlikely, given the fact that his pawn had almost killed him. But he couldn't take any chances. He was going to have to warm up to whoever he came in contact with. He could just see it now: introducing himself as a friend and become liked among their group and then, he'd kill them all.

A small chuckle escaped his dry mouth. What was he thinking? Why bloody his hands when he had helpers? He could see the group's face when they couldn't even fight back against those they thought were dead, and loved. It was almost too much for him to take. He wanted that day to come, but if he learned anything from blowing the cover of Mighty, he learned patience.

His lips formed a smile. He looked straight ahead and the base he was told they ran off to. He shook with excitement. How long had it been since he wanted to meet this boy in person? Hell, he didn't even know what he looked like. But then again, it was more of a challenge. His feet continued to drag him to his destination.

"I hope you're ready to meet me, cause I can promise you this, kid, I will be the last person you meet."

-----

Lloyd awoke to a small creaking, but when he looked around, all he saw was Yuan. The light had drained from the room, given the fact it was late at night. Yuan sat down across from him and stared at him.

Lloyd grew uncomfortable. "What?"

Yuan smiled. "What did you see? You would think that after all of this, you would have learned to speak up. You see things of the future Lloyd, and yet you still remain silent. Why is that?"

Lloyd plastered a smirk on his face. "For someone as smart as you, if you saw what I did, you would know that it is impossible for what I saw to happen."

"Prove it to me."

Lloyd looked away. It wasn't true. So what if he had dreams before that "miraculously" happened to come true? He knew in his mind that it couldn't be and _wasn't _possible.

"Lloyd, tell me. This could help us out."

"Why? Isn't he already dead?"

Yuan took a deep breath. "We don't know for sure, Lloyd. As of right now, I am having doubts."

"You're not the only one," Lloyd whispered, and had it not been for Yuan's acute hearing, he wouldn't have caught it.

"You need to talk to someone. I don't care if it's me, your mother, Genis, a guard, just please, Lloyd, help us out. We would rather take the chance, wouldn't you?"

"You don't understand!! It's not _possible_! This isn't about someone dying! It's about coming back! Someone died and I saw them again!"

Yuan was taken back by Lloyd's change of attitude, but at least he got something out of him. "Who did you see Lloyd?"

Lloyd brought his knees to his chest and placed his head on his knees. "I remember seeing the enemy. I don't remember what his name was, but he had this evil look about him. He's behind all of this, but I don't know who he is."

"That's not what I meant, Lloyd. Who did you see who was _dead_?"

He was quiet for a while, even when Yuan repeated his question. He didn't even look up at him. Quietly, Yuan sat up and walked over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Lloyd, who did you see?"

"…I'm tired. I need to get some sleep."

Deciding this was not the time to argue with the boy, he nodded in reply and watched as Lloyd buried himself into the covers. As he began to leave, Lloyd called out to him.

"Hey, can you do me a favor before you leave?"

Yuan turned as Lloyd sat back up to reply. "Can you have my mom come up here with me? I…I don't want to have to…"

"I understand, Lloyd. I can do that." With a simple nod of gratitude, Yuan left as Lloyd climbed back under the covers. Afraid to even close his eyes, he waited for fatigue to take him into darkness. As he tossed and turned in the night, he replied to Yuan's last statement: "No, Yuan, you _don't_ understand."

-----

When Lloyd woke up again, it was due to the sun in his eyes. He blinked a few times before sitting up and stretching.

"You're awake."

Startled at the fact someone was in the room with him, he turned to his side and found his mother smiling at him. "Sleep well?"

_No_, he thought, but to refrain from asking too much, he replied, "About as good as I am gunna get."

"You only slept for a few minutes, Lloyd." He smiled, but she saw straight through it. "Yuan told me that you asked me to come up here with you. That had to have been three hours ago. You stopped moving around about thirty minutes ago."

"Ha, that's what you think."

"Lloyd, don't lie to me."

Caught in the act, he sighed. "I guess that, after all that's been happening, I'd be able to sleep better knowing I was watched out for. I don't know. I guess…"

"Lloyd, you don't think that I know some of what you're going through? You know how hard it is to see you rolling around in your sleep because you are having nightmares about your father who killed you? Do you know how hard it is when you know your son is lying to you at every chance he gets?"

Letting the truth sink in, Lloyd lowered his gaze to his lap. "Alright, I'm sorry. I just…I'm not someone everyone sees as being scared easily."

"Most people here wonder _why_ you're not acting more uneasy. It's alright to be scared. You're just showing you're human."

Lloyd sighed, knowing she was right, but he still couldn't admit that all of this was starting to scare him.

"I'm going to go make something to eat. I'll come up and get you when it's done." Anna stood up and placed a light kiss on Lloyd's forehead.

"Wait, I'll help." Anna was about to protest when Lloyd slid out of bed and stood beside her. He smiled as they walked down the halls to where the kitchen area was. "Thanks," he whispered.

Anna smiled at her son. "You're welcome."

-----

Yuan couldn't sleep either. His thoughts were somewhere else and he was thinking too much to rest. Lloyd claimed that he saw someone who was dead, but that didn't say much. Why was he so disturbed? If they were alive, wouldn't that be a good thing? Why was he refraining from saying anything?

"Sorry, sir, but someone is at the door. He says he needs to speak with you."

Grumbling and slowly making his way out of his room, he walked down the hall to the front entrance. Who would want to see him that wasn't already in the facility? He wasn't going to linger on the thought, mainly because his mind was already contaminated with unanswered questions. When he reached the entrance, a man his size stood before him. His blond hair and crystal blue eyes reminded Yuan of Mithos.

"How can I help you?" Yuan said, trying to remain polite.

The man smiled. "I'm sorry to arrive at such short notice, but I would like to meet a friend I heard was here."

Yuan sighed; he didn't have time for this. "And his name is?"

"Oh, sorry. His name is Mighty. I heard he was here."

At the mere name of the deceased boy, Yuan stared at the man. "How do you know Mighty?"

At that time, Lloyd walked by and saw Yuan talking with a stranger. He sighed and, being the nosy person he was, decided to walk into the conversation before his mother stopped him.

"You knew him? Sorry, but the kid's dead. You came a few days too late."

"Lloyd!" He cringed, preparing for a smack from his mother who had followed him into the room.

"He…he's dead? Oh…that's…"

"Answer me, kid. How did you know him?" Yuan repeated.

The young man dropped his head. "He…he was my cousin. Kinda like the younger brother I never had."

The three of them took the news as a shock. Lloyd felt the worst for his past comment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say what I did."

The young man looked up. "It's alright. I guess I wasn't expecting it to happen to him. He was so young."

Lloyd smiled. "He was a good kid, but hey, if you don't have any family, we're always happy to have friends here!"

The man smiled, or tried to. "Thanks."

"By the way, I am Lloyd. This is my mom, and Yuan. What did you say your name was?"

By the look in the man's eyes, Lloyd knew something sounded familiar. He shook his head in the slightest bit, then extended his hand. "I didn't. My name is Kincaid Sumner. Now, what did you say your last name was, Lloyd?"


	5. Befriending the Enemy

Alright, today I am not doing a thing in school, so I decided to write what was on my mind. I was also writing this while listening to music and listening to the people around me, so I apologize ahead of time for mistakes.**

* * *

**

**Bonds of Evil  
**_Befriending the Enemy_

Lloyd responded to Kincaid's remark, trying to be funny. "I didn't," he said, copying the younger man's words. He even got a smile out of him.

"You're funny, Lloyd. So, since I told you my name, how about some common courtesy?"

Lloyd beamed. "Well, I have two. Most people stick with Irving, cause that's what I used since I could remember. But, a few years ago, I changed back to Aurion, cause that's my real name. Cool huh?"

Kincaid had a look of confusion on his face. "I uh…don't understand."

Lloyd took his hand and drug him through the base, looking for a free room. Before he left, he called out to his mother. "Hey, we'll be talking to each other, so, can you tell us when breakfast is done, please? Thanks!" Then he was gone.

When they reached the room, Kincaid laughed. "You really are a funny kid, Lloyd. I don't remember having so much energy in my life!"

He responded with a smile. "Sorry about that. I just like making new friends. Anyways, I don't like talking about what I am going to tell you in front of my mom. She doesn't like talking about it."

Kincaid could see Lloyd stiffen up a little, but didn't say anything as Lloyd began to tell his story.

"Well, when I was little, as Lloyd Aurion, we were running from the Desians. When I was, three I think, they finally caught us. That was when we were separated from my father. My mom was lucky to be alive, and I was lucky enough to survive the fall off the cliff. After that, I became Lloyd Irving. My dad didn't find us until a few months ago. But…"

Kincaid waited until he said something, but when he dropped his head, he knew something was bothering him. "But what, Lloyd? He wasn't the man you wanted him to be, was he?"

"He's dead…he's not coming back to us again." There was silence. Then, Lloyd spoke back up. "That's why I can't talk about him in front of my mom. She's still hurt by it."

"I'm sorry, Lloyd. You didn't have to tell me that. I mean, you must have a lot of guts to trust me enough to talk about all this."

Lloyd looked up. "I trust everyone until they screw that up. In a way, I'm surprised too, given the fact I did the same with Mighty. Oh…sorry."

Kincaid held up a hand. "No, it's alright. If you promise not to tell anyone, I kinda saw something like this coming. He would tell me that something was missing in his life. He started partying at school, or so he told me, and started thinking things that I didn't think he could dream of!"

"Yeah, but that stuff happens. I just wish someone would have stopped him. He seemed like a good kid. So, tell me about yourself."

Kincaid nodded. "Sure. I am a little older than you, twenty-six. My parents died when I was little, as did Mighty's parents. I took him in when I was ten and felt like I could handle it. Then, he just…left. He left me a note and said he was going to school in Palmacosta where he got admitted. I was happy for him; he finally became independent."

"Well, if I can ask, cause I am nosy, what happened to your parents? You don't have to…"

"They went on a journey from Hima to Izoold, but they never made it. It was my parents and Mighty's, and they reached the Ossa Trial. I wanna say the Desians killed them, but that's not what I think."

"What do you think?"

"Well, it could be true. But we paid two other people to accompany them on their journey, so they should have been fine! They claimed to be trained in what they did, and to make it worse, they lived! Both of them! They didn't care about the fact they died and they didn't stop them. Well, I guess in a way, I hated the one over the other, cause the nicer one at least tried to help me. Him and his wife took us in for a few weeks, but I still hated the fact that he let my parents die."

Lloyd was amazed. In the few minutes since their first meeting, they practically knew each other's darker secrets. At least Lloyd had his mother. This man didn't even have that as he grew up.

"Yeah, my dad was a mercenary, or that's what my mom told me. She told me that there were sometimes when he would come back and he wouldn't talk for days. There were others when he got angry at himself and scared my mom. I would hate to have been in a position like that. I wouldn't know what to do."

"Your father was a mercenary? Why?"

"Well…I really don't know. Now that I think about, it doesn't make sense because all my memories of him were sitting at his desk and writing papers. Plus, we needed him at home because of the Desians constantly looking for my mom. Then again, there were times when he would be gone for a period of a few days."

"Well, I don't see the point of them. They could kill the people they are supposed to be defending."

"My dad wouldn't kill anyone unless he was defending his family," Lloyd said, coming on a little too rough. Kincaid leaned back and held his hands up in defense.

"I didn't say that he would. He seems like a nice guy."

Knowing he didn't mean to sound like that, he sighed. "Sorry, I just get a little…angry, when people talk about my dad. My mom said that we were inseparable when I was little."

Kincaid smiled faintly. "I would love to be able to remember my parents like that. You must have good memory."

"Just what my mom tells me."

"Lloyd, it's ready. You going to come and eat?" Anna yelled from behind the closed door. Lloyd turned to Kincaid and smiled.

"My mom is a master chef! Come on! Let's go eat!" Kincaid returned the gesture and stood up, following Lloyd to the door. He smiled when Lloyd looked away from him. _This is going to be easier than I thought._

-----

Genis didn't say a word to Lloyd as they sat and ate. He couldn't figure out why he was being so quiet. While Kincaid talked to Yuan and Anna, Lloyd turned his head to talk to Genis.

"Hey, why aren't you talking to me? Have I done something?"

Genis shook his head. "No."

_That's it? 'No.' _"Come on, Genis. I did something…"

"You would think you would have learned, Lloyd. You can't just go throwing your trust away like that. We don't even know him."

Lloyd drew his eyebrows together in confusion. Yuan glanced over at the two of them, but seeing them both grow quiet, he turned back to the conversation around him. Genis slowly stood up and everyone turned to him.

"I'm not really that hungry you guys. I think I'll go sleep again." With that said, Genis walked off, leaving the room with silence. Kincaid leaned over to Lloyd.

"Is he usually like this?"

Ignoring his comment, he stood up and followed his friend out the door. When he caught up to him, he grabbed his arm and turned him to face him.

"Okay, is it so bad that I trust people? Why does it matter?"

"I don't trust him. There's something I don't like, Lloyd."

Lloyd grinned. "You're just jealous."

"Lloyd, Mighty didn't have a cousin."


	6. Choosing Carefully

OMG! Look at this! I have updated! Sorry about the long wait and I hope no one is mad at me! I have just graduated (YAY!) and now I am moving on to college. Monday I sart my first full time job, so I might not have time to write at all, not that I did when I had the time! Okay, moving on. I hope you haven't forgotten the story line like I have (sadly enough, I had to re-read the whole story) and I hope this was good. I did this while watching a movie. And I hope I can keep up the writing. Don't be surprised.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Tales. Never have, never will.

* * *

**Bonds of Evil  
**_Chosing Carefully_

Lloyd could not believe the words that came out of Genis's mouth. Mighty didn't have a cousin? He knew Genis wouldn't lie, but what if Mighty kept him a secret? In their previous conversation, Kincaid said that he was changing. Maybe as part of that, he tossed him aside.

Genis lowered his head, having a feeling that what he said didn't penetrate Lloyd like he thought. "I'm not lying, Lloyd. Mighty never mentioned having a cousin."

Lloyd shot his head up. "I'm not saying you're lying. I'm just thinking that there's a possibility that he could have kept him a secret."

Genis glared back at him. "He told me everything. Why do you think his death was so hard for me, and his actions so hard for me to believe?! I never saw this coming!"

"He kept that from you, so maybe he hid him too!"

Genis tried to refrain from shouting, but he needed to get Lloyd to be cautious. "He hid his actions from me because it was bad. Is that why he's hiding him too, because Kincaid is bad?"

Lloyd stopped and thought. It was a possibility that he was, but how could he with how kind he seemed to be?

"Lloyd, not every person you meet you have to befriend. Do you feel obliged to make friends with every lone soul you see? Maybe there's a reason why their alone."

Lloyd turned on Genis and started yelling. "I see the good side in people! Is that a sin?! I befriended you because you looked like you needed a friend! I will befriend him because he's lost a family member! I _know_ how that feels!"

Genis was quiet and on the verge of tears. Lloyd didn't yell at him like that often, if ever. He turned his back and began to walk away when he felt a firm hand grab his shoulder.

"Genis, I'm sorry. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so I don't need this from you."

He brushed off his hand and didn't even look over his shoulder at his friend. "Just remember, Lloyd, I warned you."

---

It was late, and the lack of sleep was finally slamming its face in Yuan's. Meeting with this Kincaid fellow was not part of his usual day, but he seemed like an alright guy. He didn't want to trust him completely yet, due to Mighty's actions, but he didn't want him to feel like he was the enemy.

Yet.

He had to admit, there was something about him he didn't like. He took an interest in Lloyd right off the back, like he knew him from some place. Maybe Yuan was just getting paranoid and shouldn't let such a meager dilemma bother him.

But it was.

Bound and determined to figure him out, Yuan walked to his door and opened it, only to find who he was looking for in front of him.

Yuan spoke first. "Oh, I was just wanting to talk to you." _No need to beat around the bush with him. This meeting will either cause me to dislike him or put up with him._

"Really? I came here to talk to you." Kincaid smiled to loosen up the discomfort felt between the two of them, but Yuan didn't seem fazed in the slightest bit.

"You can come in and we'll talk in here, if that's alright with you."

Kincaid walked into the room after he nodded and sat himself down on the wooden floor. Before he could comment on anything, Yuan asked, "You seem to be drawn to Lloyd. Do you know him?"

Kincaid glared. "Look, I'm not interested in him the way you make it seem. He's the one who wanted to talk."

_Mental note, I will _not_ like this guy._ "Do you know him from somewhere? You two hit it right off the bat."

There was silence, and Yuan struggled to decide if his silence was good or bad. Kincaid laughed. "Why do you think that? Are you suspecting me of being an enemy here?"

Yuan managed a weak smile. "Why would you think that unless you have a reason to believe you are?"

That silenced him. "Alright, do you know me? Because you seem to have a grudge against me already. I just got here looking for my cousin to find out he's dead…"

"…And you didn't seem to upset about that," Yuan added. "Lloyd's father was killed and he still hasn't gotten over that. It's been a few months. You bring up his name and Lloyd will be silent. Can't say that about you, can I?"

Once again, the two went into a glaring contest. "Some people have different ways of mourning than other people do. Besides, I didn't know Mighty that well…"

"…The brother you never had, and you didn't know him well?"

"I treated him as a brother, and so did he! But we never bonded like that!"

Yuan smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Before you blow up on me, I'm just being cautious as to who I allow talk with certain people. I am not about to allow another Mighty into our group and kill everyone else."

Kincaid lifted his head and his eyes were in shock. "He killed people?"

Yuan, surprised by his ignorance, slowly found himself nodding. "Yes, he did. He killed one of Genis's friends back at the Palmacosta Academy. He had something to do with Lloyd's father's death, and even Genis's sister. Now, do you want me to keep going or do you want me to stop?"

Kincaid looked like he was about to let his tears run loose. Deep down, Yuan felt sorry for the kid. Maybe he had pushed him too far.

"He would never do that. I swear, Mighty was never that bad of a person! He would never kill anyone!"

Yuan took a step back. "Alright, I'm sorry. But, I just told you the truth. Now, he might not have done them. I firmly believe that someone helped him, or told him what to do."

"…What? You think that someone had control of him? What if they hurt him to force him?"

"It's…possible, but highly unlikely. Mighty seemed rather boastful when he admitted his actions. He had something to do with them, whether you believe it or not."

Kincaid shook his head, but he didn't say anymore. Yuan stood up and walked to the door, but Kincaid spoke up before he opened it. "Wait, I know you probably look at me as your enemy, but that's not what I want. I don't know what Mighty did, but I am not Mighty. I won't be like him, I promise. Just, give me a chance."

Yuan sat there and looked at the person he saw on the floor, begging for him to view him differently. The only problem was that why did he want to stay? If he did help in some way influence Mighty, could he have had something to do with Mighty's actions?

"I never looked at you as the enemy, but I can't say I have made my mind up on which side you're on. Your actions will decide that. I will not let you wander alone if you chose to stay. I don't trust you, but you are welcome to stay."

Kincaid looked up and smiled at him. "You know, it's not the answer I wanted to hear, but I understand your situation. I thank you for allowing me to stay. I'll do my best to gain your trust."

He walked through the door Yuan held for him, but Yuan didn't follow him. He stood a thought about what he did. He hoped he made the right choice in allowing him to stay with the group. When Kincaid walked away, Yuan got a feeling that he made the wrong decision.

He just hoped the feeling would go away.


	7. Unwanted Feelings

Sweetness! Look at me go! Updating story number three in three days! Yay! But sadly enough, the rest of the day was reading this story because I forgot what it was about...

Anyways, I didn't want this chapter to be like this, but to add some drama, I did. Hopefully, if I remember better, I'll get to the part I want to get to next time. I would give something away, but you would have to plead really hard...then maybe I'll update ASAHP (as soon as humanly possible...)

A quick thank you to all those who have reviewed. I went through all of them and I felt such a horrible feeling for not updating. So, you guys were my motivation and this goes out to you. Also, a very large thanks that I don't think I have given yet, to Pepsi addict, because these ideas popped in my head after reading their stories. Ha, and they were good too. They had guns.

Okay, not much else to say, but hopefully no one is lost cause I know that feeling and hopefully it's good. I wrote it in a few hours and it was late. I personally liked it though...I'm all about drama...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales. If I did, you could use everyone you wanted in a fight. (Yeah, I know, then it would be too easy. But I wouldn't use Colette or Regal. Just Lloyd, Raine, Genis, Kratos/Zelos, and Sheena...so five...)

* * *

**Bonds of Evil  
**_Unwanted Feelings_

Genis sat outside and thought about what Lloyd was doing. He was making a mistake. How could that boy befriend anyone with a sob story after allowing people like Mithos and Mighty into their circle of friends? If he would have known about their actions before hand, would he still have accepted them?

But Genis couldn't argue. The reason the two of them became good friends was because Lloyd was nice enough sit with him at lunch. Maybe now he was getting a little jealous of Lloyd making friends as easily as he did. It was hard enough to get people to even accept him standing next to them let alone befriending him. There must have been an aura about Lloyd that made him easy to talk to, easy to joke with, fun to be around.

Easy to betray.

Why couldn't Lloyd believe him when he told him that this Kincaid boy was going to bring them all trouble? Was it because he yelled at him when he was being mean to Mighty and he turned out bad? One would think, though, after a stranger killed someone of importance, one would be more cautious of others. Or maybe Lloyd was just a slow learner.

"It's a little late there, sport. Shouldn't someone of your age be in bed by 8?"

Genis turned quickly at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, but saw the familiar figure of Kincaid. "Last time I checked, you weren't my boss. And don't call me sport."

Kincaid sat down next to Genis. "So, Lloyd told me you don't trust me. Man, I am getting that a lot today. First Yuan and now you. What's so bad about me?"

"The fact that you lied to Lloyd is all that I need to make me not trust you," Genis replied, looking away.

"I didn't lie to him. Why would I do such a thing to my friend?"

Genis didn't want to talk to him, so he stood up, brushed off the dirt on his clothes and glared at Kincaid before walking away. "Haven't you heard? It's what friends do now. They lie to each other."

As Genis walked away, Kincaid smiled, suppressing a laugh. "You seem to be one smart kid there, sport. I wish some of your intellect would rub off on your dumb-ass friend. Maybe then this game would be a hell of a lot more amusing."

-----

When Lloyd finished cleaning up dinner, he walked into the lobby and sat down on a chair. The room was empty, which is what he needed to clear his thoughts. After all the day's events, he couldn't seem to shake his argument with Genis off his mind. He had been through a tough day, a tough few months for that matter, but hadn't Genis been there every step of the way, probably going through the same things? Why did he have to be so harsh on him?

But why did he have such a hard time trusting Kincaid? No one else seemed to have such a problem with the kid. He was just a poor boy looking for a cousin, real relation or not, who was dead. He at least deserved a place to stay for a while until he got back on his feet. Besides, he probably had some other family that he would run back to.

"You look distressed." Lloyd didn't look up. He felt Yuan sit down next to him. "What's got you in a foul mood? Why aren't you heading up to bed?"

Lloyd smirked. "The only one who tells me to go to bed is my mom. You don't quite match her physical characteristics. You can come back and try again and _maybe_ you can convince me."

That got Yuan to chuckle. "I just got done talking to Kincaid. I've thought about it…"

"Don't tell me, you won't let him stay here." Not even waiting for Yuan's response, he stood up and turned on him. "What do you guys have against him? He hasn't done anything wrong and everyone is treating him as the enemy!"

Yuan stared back into his eyes. "You didn't let me finish. I've allowed him to stay, but I will be keeping an eye on him. Until he earns _my _trust, Lloyd, no one will be going away alone with him. In fact, he won't be going anywhere with anyone."

"Now, answer my question. What do you have against him?!" Lloyd yelled.

"First off, do you not find it a little peculiar that he only talks to you and only wants to know about you? Second, I will not let another Mighty into this group. I would rather be cautious and him be no threat than letting him roam as he wants killing people."

Lloyd stormed off, furious that no one was giving Kincaid a chance. The kid lost a cousin, and no one cared. Maybe this whole ordeal with Mighty was closing up everyone's hearts. Well, his was one that would always be open.

He walked around the base for what seemed like hours, trying to get his mind off his anger, but with every footstep he took, he grew angrier at everyone. Genis for basically telling him he was too friendly and needed to stop; Yuan for telling him to be cautious around some innocent person; Botta for future agreement with Yuan, and his mother for…making him clean up dinner.

He stopped his pace and leaned up against the wall. All these feelings had started the minute Kincaid stepped through the door. It all came back to him. Maybe he would piss Yuan off and show Kincaid Iselia, the place he grew up. He could imagine the look of disappointment on his face when he came back, unscratched and perfectly fine.

Maybe he would do that.

"Do you know what time it is?"

This time it was his mother. "Don't know, but I honestly don't care. I won't be able to sleep anyways."

He turned his back and tried to walk away, but Anna grabbed him from behind. "You should lie down. Maybe then your attitude will get put to rest, too."

Lloyd sighed, but he was not going to start an argument with his mother. "Can I ask you something?"

"Will you go to bed if I say yes?"

He slowly found himself nodding, then he leaned back up against the wall and closed his eyes. "Do you like Kincaid? Everyone else seems to hate him already, and he hasn't done anything wrong."

There was a long, drawn out silence. Lloyd took that for his answer and began to walk to his room.

"Lloyd…" He stopped, but he did not turn around. "You have the biggest heart I could ever imagine. You accept everyone, regardless of what other people think of them." She stopped, and Lloyd managed to smile. Maybe someone would be on his side.

But she continued. "But how many of those people are going to have to hurt you in order for you to use some caution when giving away your trust?"

Another knife to the heart. Why was he getting the same explanation from everyone?! Did they not see his point of view?

"Why doesn't anyone see the good side in people anymore? Does everyone think everyone is bad?!" he shouted, trying hard not to slam his fists into the wall.

Anna dropped her head. "Not all people are good, Lloyd."

"But not everyone is bad! Don't they have to do something for us to believe they are? He hasn't done anything!"

"But when he has, how big is it going to be? Is he just going to lie, or kill everyone here? All I am saying, Lloyd, is be careful. You can't predict what anyone will do."

"Does that mean I have to be cautious around you, or around Genis?"

Before Anna could respond, Lloyd had walked to his room and slammed the door.

-----

Lloyd leaned back against the door for a few minutes, trying to regain his composure. He knew his mother was just looking after him, but he wasn't three anymore. He didn't need to be sheltered as much as before. He was grown up and could take care of himself.

_Betcha Raine and Kratos thought that too, and look what happened to them._

He threw the thought out of his mind and walked carefully to his bed, trying not to wake up Genis. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Genis talked to him.

"Next time you want to yell, you should go outside and do it. Some people are trying to sleep."

With his previous argument_s_, he wasn't going to start another with Genis. "Next time, you should mind your own business and try to sleep through it."

Genis sat up, his eyes full of anger. "It's a little hard when someone is yelling in the middle of the night."

Lloyd ignored him and his look and lay down on his bed. He wanted so badly to fall asleep, but he couldn't. Part of him wanted to go apologize to his mother for being so hard. Another part wanted to just scream and yell until his heart felt content and he could sleep. But then Genis would tell him to shut up so he could sleep and then he would just be angry again.

Maybe he would pay his mother a late night visit to apologize.

Finally fed up with the fact he couldn't fall asleep, he stood back up and walked to the door. He turned the knob when he heard Genis from behind him.

"What's wrong, Lloyd? Are you afraid that I'm going to kill you or something?"

He let go of the handle and turned around. "First off, if you tried, I would kill you first. Second, I know you better than…"

"Exactly. You know _us_ better than that, Lloyd. That's what we have been trying to tell you! Simply put, would you trust him in a room alone with your mother and expect nothing to happen?"

"Shut up! Just because I don't know him doesn't mean I have to treat him as the enemy!"

Genis sat up on his bed and looked over at Lloyd. "Would you?"

The question hung in the air and made the room feel hotter to Lloyd. "The only reason I would say no is because my mother is all I have left. If it was anyone else, I would say yes."

Before Lloyd could turn around, he heard Genis grow silent and could have sworn he saw tears in his eyes. As he walked out the door, he could hear the strain in his voice.

"Glad to know that my best friend doesn't care if I die."

* * *

Ha, betcha didn't expect to see me write down here, did ya? Well, I'm breaking a trend. And I am Kratos Wilder, and can do whatever I want. Just some things to remember bc it has been so long.  
- Kincaid is the bad guy. Past chapters have already mentioned that.  
- Lloyd had a dream in which Kincaid revealed himself, but Lloyd couldn't remember the name. That's why Lloyd hasn't killed him yet...  
- Kincaid said Mighty was his cousin but Genis told Lloyd Mighty didn't have one. Just in case you don't remember why Lloyd and Genis aren't great buds. 

Maybe I'll start something new too, and put in some hinters on what to expect coming up. Then you'd want me to update, huh? But, I won't do it this time. If you want me to, I will...maybe just to add to the suspense. Enough said, I am off to sleep now. Have to work the next few days, so I won't be able to write. I'll catch up later though!

Kratos Wilder


	8. Mounting Tensions

**::A/N::** Betcha you didn't see THIS coming! I was bored and reading through my crappy stories and laughing at how sucky they were, and I got the urge to write more in this, seeing as now I know the plot for the rest of the story! So, I am terribly sorry for everyone who waited for...years now? and nothing. Just know that I am writing it now!

I kinda typed this in a hurry, so I hope everything is good. Okay 'nuff talk.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, well...I'd be cool :)

**

* * *

**

**Bonds of Evil**

_Mounting Tensions_

Lloyd walked around the base to his mother's room, trying to ease his anger. Genis was his friend—no—his best friend, so why did he feel like Genis hated him? And for what? Befriending someone? He knew Genis was always a rational thinker, especially when it came to people, but why was he so mad at Lloyd? Sometimes, all someone needed was a person to talk to. He did it for Genis. He did it for Kincaid. He would do it for anyone.

Pulling himself from his mental dilemma, he realized he had passed his mother's room some time ago. Retracing his steps, he walked back down the hall until he reached his destination. He paused before knocking. Maybe it was too late at night and he should apologize in the morning. But aside from the fact that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep, Genis would probably start another argument the minute he walked in to the room.

_I_ _walked all the way here._ _Might as well just get this over with,_ he thought as he quietly knocked on the door. However, there was no response, and he couldn't hear anything on the other side.

He tried again. Nothing.

Perhaps she was out walking around, too. That seemed to be the thing to do lately to clear the mind. When he began to walk away, he heard the door crack open behind him.

"Lloyd, do you have any idea what time it is?"

He didn't respond, mainly because he didn't want to know. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep."

Anna relaxed and sighed. "Well, come on in, or are you going to yell and wake everyone else up?"

He didn't smile at her humor. Instead he walked inside and leaned up against the wall. Before she could even ask what was wrong, he spoke up.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I've had a lot on my mind."

Anna smiled. "Care to tell me the real reason you're here?"

Shocked, Lloyd stared back at her. "Uh, I did."

"Lloyd, you did not walk here to apologize at four in the morning," she replied as she sat down across from him. "Now, what's wrong?"

He wasn't expecting this. Maybe he was more mentally exhausted than he thought. "Mom, I came here to—,"

She cut him off. "Don't apologize for something you are not sorry for."

He was silent. Truth be told, he really came to apologize for acting so rude to his mother. But now, he wasn't sure why he was there.

"Something happening between you and Genis?"

He lifted his eyes, still unable to speak to confirm her statement. But his look was all she needed from him. So, he just let it all out. "I don't know. Ever since this Kincaid guy has shown up, Genis has been a complete jerk to me. Everyone has for that matter. Why? You guys all tell me to 'be cautious' around him, but that doesn't mean we have to treat him like he's a criminal! That's how people like Mithos become who they were!"

"I understand, Lloyd. I think we all do. But you have to look at the other side of this as well. If you open your heart to the wrong person, they will walk all over you. Trust isn't given; it's earned. We don't want anything to happen to you, Lloyd. We all care about you."

"So we turn our backs and close our hearts and give him a reason to hate us! You expect him to just smile and go about his way unfazed by our actions?! People hurt when they are rejected, Mom! Good people, bad people, everyone! Why doesn't anyone understand that!?"

Anna spoke with a harsher tone, hoping something would change his way of thinking. "How many people have to betray you before you practice some discretion, Lloyd? How many people have to die before you think about who you give your trust to?"

Lloyd narrowed his gaze. "Kratos betrayed us, but he turned out to be a good guy."

Anna sat at the edge of the bed, mortified that Lloyd had brought up his father in such a callous tone. If he was within striking distance, she would have backhanded him. "He had his reasons. You know that."

"That's not the point! I know that no one on this planet is perfect, but everyone should feel like they belong. I don't care if you, Genis, and Yuan hate him, but I'll treat him the same that I do with all of you!"

"I'm not asking you to not be his friend. Just—,"

Aggravated by the lack of understanding from anyone, Lloyd walked to the door, stopping as he opened it. "If he does turn out to be this horrible person you guys make him out to be, and he does end up hurting me, or killing me, then at least I will know that I did everything that I could have done."

"Lloyd—,"

But before she could say anything else, he was gone.

-----

Lloyd reached his room and angrily shoved open the door and slammed it shut behind him. He probably woke Genis up, but as of right now, he didn't care. He had had it with everyone on this stupid base failing to see the good in people.

On impulse, he smashed his fist into the wall, feeling his hand go numb but feeling much better in the process. The room was silent, which seemed to help him calm down. Taking several deep breaths while nursing his throbbing hand, he sat down on the edge of his bed and glanced out the window.

At least it was nice outside. Something was going right for him. He stared at the dark blue sky for a few moments before his eyes began burning, a sign that his fatigue had caught up with him. He laid down on the bed and threw his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

He'd prove them wrong. There was nothing wrong with Kincaid. He'd get everyone to change their minds about him over time.

"Who's face was on the wall? Yuan's, Kincaid's, mine?"

Lloyd nearly jumped through the ceiling when Genis broke the silence. Of course, he just had to speak up now that he was finally calm and ready to sleep the day off. "You scared me. I thought you were asleep."

"I was…until I heard you stomping your way down the hall."

Lloyd did not want to start another argument now. He was tired, and for once, wanted to ignore everyone and close his eyes. He felt like he could sleep for a month. "I'm not in the mood, Genis. I'm too tired to start a fight with you now."

He heard Genis shift on his bed, but Lloyd closed his eyes and rolled over, hoping he would stay quiet.

"Why are you so mad at me, Lloyd?"

He wanted to ignore him, but there was something in Genis's voice that sounded like he was pleading for an answer. Lloyd couldn't overlook that. "Probably for the same reason you hate me."

"I didn't say I hated you," Genis replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ever since that Kincaid guy has been here, it's like you want nothing to do with me. All you ever do is yell at me and now you spend all your time talking to him. It's like he's replaced me, Lloyd. I'm not your best friend anymore."

Lloyd opened his mouth to protest, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't want Genis to think that they weren't friends anymore, but he had made him so mad.

"Maybe I'm just jealous, but I have a bad feeling about him. So the fact you would rather spend your time with him knowing that, I just feel—"

"Genis, I'll be honest. As angry as I have been with you and everyone else, you will always be my best friend. No one is going to change that. You just have to stop getting so frustrated with me because of my choice of other friends. That's all I'm asking."

"Why do you trust him so easily?"

His question made Lloyd stop and think. "Well, because he hasn't done anything suspicious, and he is nice to talk to. Isn't that enough to trust someone?"

Through the darkness, Lloyd could feel the tension between the two of them diminish. "Heh, you and your stupid logic."

Lloyd smiled. At least Genis was back to his old sarcastic self. "But hey, it works, right?"

Instead of a response, Genis rolled over, his back to Lloyd. In the silence, he could feel like Genis was not as chipper as Lloyd believed. "Something wrong?"

"Lloyd…" he faded out, and Lloyd could hear a strain in his voice. Was he crying?

"…Genis?"

They both fell silent, and neither one of the moved an inch. Lloyd began to worry about what he did or said to make Genis so upset. A second ago, he thought that everything was fine. Just as he was about to speak up, he heard Genis chuckle from across the room.

"Don't worry about it."

He could still hear the sorrow in his voice. What made it worse was that Lloyd had no idea why he sounded so hurt. He knew he hadn't been half the friend he used to be before Kincaid walked through the doors, but he thought they had reached an understanding.

Determined to get his friend to speak, he asked, "Genis, what did I do? Tell me. Please?"

Genis just buried his face in his pillow, and Lloyd barely made out what he said. "Nothing."

"Genis."

He was silent for while, but then he turned his head away from Lloyd and quietly responded. "I just…I trusted Mighty. He was my friend. He wasn't as close as you were, but in some ways, he was. But he killed my sister. He even laughed when he told me he planted the bomb that killed her. He used me, Lloyd, my friend used my trust and faith in him to kill our friend, your father, and my sister! I just…I can't trust Kincaid like you can after what I went through with Mighty. I lost Raine, and I'm afraid if I trust him, I'll lose you, too. You're all I have left, Lloyd."

Lloyd felt his world flip upside down. Why had he not been able to see that? He had witnessed what Genis did, and nearly died himself, but he was so happy with making a new friend that he was completely oblivious to why he couldn't…_wouldn't_ trust Kincaid. All the times he yelled at him for being so cold-hearted, Genis was just worried about losing Lloyd as well. He felt like a complete idiot. No wonder he hated him; had it been him, he would have been just as angry with himself.

"Genis, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"Good-night, Lloyd."

And just like that, the room fell silent again.

* * *

So anyways, more of a drama chapter here than anything. But brace yourself for the next one!

Till then :)

_Kratos Wilder_


End file.
